Mapping a days caching

[+Waddlecotes]

Hi all, we are introducing friends to geocaching next weekend and I want to plot a 3 mile walk with all the caches along the way but showing each cache location marked on the route. Any ideas? Tried google maps but with little success.

[+abiherts]

Have you tried Cach'eye?

[+Bear and Ragged]

Download GPX files, make into one file and open in Googlemaps/Google Earth

 

Or...

GPSVisulizer

 

Does help if you can get the GPX files into one file... GSAK is wonderful for things like that!

 

Or...

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ - Top right hand corner 'Find a walk/GPS planner' (You do need to join up though)

Edited April 4, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+MartyBartfast]

ways-to-skin-cat >1

 

So I would,

 

Open a cache page for a cache in the general area.

Click the "Geocaching.com Google maps" link.

Click the "View new maps beta!" link in the top right corner.

If you don't see the maps list in a frame on the left then click the blue arrowed square in the top left corner.

From the Map Types shown in the frame on the left select either Open Streetmap, or Open Cyclemap.

Zoom in/out as required.

 

Hopefully if the OpenStreetmap data is good in your area you'll see the caches superimposed on the footpaths/bridleways.

 

Print.

 

Go out caching.

[I!]

I tend to print from streetmap.co.uk then mark up the print with a pen.

 

Where are you going, out of interest?

[+redsox_mark]

I tend to print from streetmap.co.uk then mark up the print with a pen.

 

Where are you going, out of interest?

 

That's what I do. Find the caches using the map view in geocaching.com; then mark up an OS map from street.map.co.uk to plot/see the route.

[+janandsteve]

Hi all, we are introducing friends to geocaching next weekend and I want to plot a 3 mile walk with all the caches along the way but showing each cache location marked on the route. Any ideas? Tried google maps but with little success.

 

Depends on what GPS you have.... Here is my solution... I have the Garmin 62s with Full OS Discoverer 50k UK maps and use BaseCamp on the PC..

 

1) Get the gpx files from GC.com

2) Put the gpx files onto GPS.

3) Connect up the 62s to BaseCamp - and make sure you select the OS maps from the 62s ( top left )

4) Now you can see the OS map and caches ( plus child waypoints ) on the Basecamp screen - you are set for planning.

5) Choose the area you want to go and create a 'route' along footpaths etc. noting the caches along the route. Make sure that you create waypoint markers at turns along a new footpath etc. and add caches to the route along the way. When you approach a turn or a cache, the GPS beeps to remind you ( yes even in the latest 2.93 beta, I found out yesterday - doesnt beep with a single cache/waypoint ).

6) I have 'next waypoint' as a data field on the compass page, so I can see if my next 'waypoint' is a cache. If it is, then I stop the route and find the cache and select go for that. This means I can view/log the cache, which you cannot do from the route follow.

7) Once cache found and logged in, I switch back to the route and continue to follow it to the next turn / waypoint / cache, and repeat the above again.

8) Once back at home, I can analyse the track recorded in Basecamp and remove any stray points that are not relevant, view elevation plot etc.

 

PS - if you dont have the 50k Discoverer maps, you can use Mobile Atlas Creator to generate some 25k maps of the area you are visiting - FOR FREE.

 

Without knowing what GPS you have, I'm not sure if the above will help, but I hope the above helps someone on the forums...

 

Steve

[+t4e]

sounds like you should just take the easy way and use Create/Edit a Route

 

after you've done that you can just create a PQ from it

Edited April 5, 2011 by t4e

[+janandsteve]

sounds like you should just take the easy way and use Create/Edit a Route

 

after you've done that you can just create a PQ from it

 

Great for roads, not much good if you want to plan a route using public footpaths on an OS map.

[I!]

... if you want to plan a route using public footpaths on an OS map.

Like this:

 

[+janandsteve]

... if you want to plan a route using public footpaths on an OS map.

Like this:

 

 

That's how mine looks in Basecamp.

 

Maybe you can tell us how you achieve this using the maps on GC.com and how you utilise the Create a route feature to generate the map you kindly displayed?

[I!]

Maybe you can tell us how you achieve this using the maps on GC.com and how you utilise the Create a route feature to generate the map you kindly displayed?

I was trying to reinforce your point by showing an example that Create A Route can't compete with. I've not used gc.com for that. Sorry for the confusion!

 

FWIW, the map was produced by saving off two (or maybe four -- it's a longish route) screen grabs from streetmap.co.uk, patching them together and saving that off as the base map. That's quick and easy when you're used to doing it. Then I mark up a copy of the map using (believe it or not ...) Microsoft Paint to show the route (in yellow), and run a short program of mine to merge the two maps. It's not something I do often, nor would I recommend you go through the faff, but I'm always pleased with the results.

[I!]

PS: "Basecamp" ... wozzat?

[+Bear and Ragged]

PS: "Basecamp" ... wozzat?

Garmin Basecamp

Take charge of your next adventure with BaseCamp, software to view and organize your maps, waypoints, routes, and tracks and send them to your Garmin device.

(Free )

Edited April 5, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[I!]

Nice. So, $30 for the OS 1:25000 maps and it's job done. Mmm...

 

Is it easy enough to load PQ results into Basecamp? (Or how else would one plot the cache locations?)

[+janandsteve]

Nice. So, $30 for the OS 1:25000 maps and it's job done. Mmm...

 

Is it easy enough to load PQ results into Basecamp? (Or how else would one plot the cache locations?)

 

Thanks for your reply describing merging maps together - I thought I was missing something obvious with the create a route feature. I find this feature useful for roads and planning caches along the roadside, but when it comes to plotting them on map footpaths, I dont think there is a way with GC.com maps and use of the create a route feature ( Google maps just dont show footpaths ).

 

Easy to get gpx into Basecamp - just use 'import' on the menu and the caches appear.

 

If you have some OS map on the 62s, that also appears on the Basecamp screen - so the caches can easily be incorporated into a walking route - and if you plot waypoints just before any turn, the 62s will 'buzz' to remind you just before the turn - just in case you are enjoying the countryside too much :-)

 

$30 is cheap for 25k maps.... I have the UK OS 50k Garmin Discoverer on uSD card... but if you want free maps for the UK ( not sure about US ?? ) then you can get these for FREE using Mobile Atlas Creator http://mobac.sourceforge.net/ These are 25k maps that give more details ( 50k maps are in most cases sufficient for the uk showing all public footpaths ), but MobAtlasCreator can only give you a small map at reasonable detail - but in most cases sufficient for a days walk, which I guess is all you need - and its free!!.

 

Once you have some sort of map and load the gpx ( both - incl child waypoints ) Basecamp is great for mapping caches along a walking route and saving the route for the days walk. See my point by point details earlier in the thread for how I use it. Any better suggestions, then please post and share your experience.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[+The Patrician]

A minor point. Basecamp will accept pretty much any Garmin map (except I think Bluecharts) from a card in a card reader. The GPS doesn't have to be attached. Copy the map .IMG file from the GPS onto a spare card and it should work. My OS maps from the 62s and CN maps from the Nuvi work as described.

 

I have a feeling I had to rename the map file GMAPSUPP.IMG in the case of the CN map to get it to work.

Edited April 5, 2011 by The Patrician

[+janandsteve]

A minor point. Basecamp will accept pretty much any Garmin map (except I think Bluecharts) from a card in a card reader. The GPS doesn't have to be attached. Copy the map .IMG file from the GPS onto a spare card and it should work. My OS maps from the 62s and CN maps from the Nuvi work as described.

 

I have a feeling I had to rename the map file GMAPSUPP.IMG in the case of the CN map to get it to work.

 

Your minor point is actually quite a major one....gun, foot, shoot...

 

LEGAL copies of the original Garmin map SD cards have copy protection embeded into the image file preventing straight forward copying like you describe - the encryption is actually linked to the serial num of the actual card. More info on that 'underground' site. This is why the gps always needs to be connected - maybe the card could be read in a reader, but who wants to keep taking the card out?

 

I'd ask for a refund from the thief who sold you the card.

[+The Patrician]

Try it. I got the info from a Garmin forum, posted by a Garmin rep.

 

Apparently if maps were bought on a CD they could be loaded into Basecamp but if downloaded they couldn't, although the two types were supposed to be functionally identical. I understand that Garmin made some alteration to Basecamp to permit the behaviour I'm describing.

 

I don't think I bought the maps from a 'thief' and I trust that you're not implying that I'm one, CN was pre-loaded in my Nuvi, AFAIK CN always is pre-loaded into Nuvis, that works as I described. My OS maps came in Garmin's packaging on a SD card and they work as described.

 

This isn't the thread I originally saw (I can't find that at present) but here's some related chat on Garmin's forum:

 

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=16921

Edited April 6, 2011 by The Patrician

[+janandsteve]

.....' I trust that you're not implying that I'm one '.....

 

 

Absolutely not, although I still stand by my original post with regards to behaviour of original SD cards; they just simply cannot be copied in the way you described due to the lock encryption with regards to the serial number of the actual SD card.

 

I would be interested to learn and be happy to be proved wrong, if you can find the Garmin quote regarding .....'I got the info from a Garmin forum, posted by a Garmin rep'.....

[+The Patrician]

if you can find the Garmin quote regarding .....'I got the info from a Garmin forum, posted by a Garmin rep'.....

 

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=6848&page=2

 

Bottom of page

[+janandsteve]

if you can find the Garmin quote regarding .....'I got the info from a Garmin forum, posted by a Garmin rep'.....

 

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=6848&page=2

 

Bottom of page

 

If you continue to read all posts within that thread - to page 5 - you will see my point still stands.....